Fuse-box



T. FL EE.

FUSE BOX.

APPL'lcATxon man FEB. 9, 1920.

1,382,989. y Patented June 28,1921. i

UNITED4 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"THOMAS AUGUSTINE LEE, or EssENDoN, MELBOURNE, ,VICTORIAAUSTRALIAQ y T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS AUeUsTi-NE LEE, electrical fitter, a subject of the King of Grreatl Britain and-Ireland, and a resident of the postal district of Ascot Vale, in the city of Essendon, a suburbr of the city of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth ofA Australia, (whose post-oiice address is 50 Filson street, in the saidpostal district'of Ascot Vale,)` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F use-Boxes, ofl which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates'to closed fuse boxes of the vkind wherein visible indicationL is given externally ofthe fuse box upon Aan internally disposed fuse wire breaking. The invention aims at providing a fuse 4box .ofy thisV character in. which a glance suiiices to show which fusebox-of a number requires renewal of the fuse wire, and in which. automatic intimation positivelyy occurs upon a fuse wire being severed. The manner of indication is such that it cannot escape noticeY even under `casual examination and consequently identification .of the 4relative fuse box may be instantly eiiected without internal inspection of a number of boxes as has `frequently. beenithe case hitherto. Further, all electrifed parts are totally inclosed.

The invention more particularly resides in a pivoted spring controlled. lever retained Within the box by the fuse Wire thereoi:l` and adapted whenliberated through melting of the fuse wire to project beyond'the cap of the box under the influence of the spring.`

It further consists in details of construction and combinations of parts as pointed out in the appended claims.

Referringl to the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1 is a plan: of a base piece; terf FUSE-Box.

Specification of Letters atent. latnijed Jung 28,

Application iiledFebruary 9, 1920. Serial No. 357,318. A

`tion by the fuse wire.

and other partsare omitted for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 7k isr aninverse `plan of Figli, that is,-

looking in the direction of the ,arrowf or with the cap overturned. f

i Fig. 8 is a side elevation of; the'cap'looking.

at the opposite side to that seen" in Fig.-6.y

Fig. 9 is a View of a group of kparts'comprisinga lever, pvot pin,fspring and holding ring all separated for convenience of-y illustration. f

\ Fig. 10-is a central longitudinal section of a cap with the pivoted lever, contact'rtongues- 'and other parts in place.

Fig. 11` is a side elevation of a fuse box according tothe invention. The fuse wire is broken allowing the indicator to projectl outs-ide the cap. l

Fig. 12 is Aan enlarged detail view oda` holding screw' by rotation of which'the tension of the fuse wire may be increased.

F ig.` 13 is .acentralcross' section of Fig. 11, the indicator beingheld in'normal posi- This invention includes a base` piece 2 having` formed near eachof its ends-a retention screw hole indicatedat 3. Formed in the base piece near each end thereof is alsoa nut'recess indicatedat 4. Passing` from each nut -recess is a terminalfhole'indicatedat- 5. Above each terminal holeandlin communication therewith isa terminal cavity; indicated at 6. Pass-iiigffrom each cavity 6 is a Contact pocket indicated` at 7y and having alining shoulders S'. Formed kin or extending from eachterininal cavityr Vlisa screw niche indicated at 9. Upstandingfrom each side of the base piecefis aflange 10. The` base piece may berformedof any suitable insulating material. A f

`Disposed-infeach terminal cavity 6 is a metallicjtiibular terminal 11 having. a reduced'threaded shankA 1.2 forming a shoulder 13.. The shank is'acconimoda-ted in the terminal hole 5 in communication with the cav- 1 ity. Threaded upon the shank 'of-each terminal is a retaining nut'lt. The n-utsll are accommodatedin the nut recesses4.- Carried by or threaded into each terminal 11 is an inclined holding screw-15.

lVitli feach tubular terminal is used a me# -tallic contact comprising an inner and anl outer element. Each elementy consists of a `bottoinportion 16 having therein a hole, infdicated at 17, through which passes the re-v duced threaded shank 12 of the relative terminal. 11. pstanding from each bottom portion 16 is a flange 18 having a downturned spring lip 19. Formed in each lip 19 is a slotway or sawcut, indicated at 20, thereby bifurcating the lip to improve the contact. It will be seen that one bottom portion 16 is longer than the other thereby providing a tongue space, indicated at 21, between the spring lips 19. Formed in the bottom portion of one'of the elements is an indentation indicated at 22. 'The bottom portion 16 of the other element is provided with a projection 23 engaging in the indentation 22 and thereby retaining the inner and outer elements in fixed relationship with the spring lips 19 spaced apart.

In combination with the foregoing is used a cap 25 having formed in each of its sides an external iingerfgroove indicated at 26. The cap may be formed of any suitable nonconducting material. Formed through the top or crown of the cap 25 is an indicator slotway shown at 27. The slotway communicates with a lever chamber indicated at 28. Portion of each side of the `cap 25 is cut away as at 29 to accommodate the upstanding flanges 10 of the base piece 2. Formed in the cap 25 at each end thereof is a terminal cavity indicated at 30. Each cavity is provided with a screw niche indicated at 31.

Formed in the cap 25 at or near each end thereofis also a tongue pocket indicated at 32. Adjacent one of the tongue pockets is a pair of lugs 33 forming a spring recess, indicated at 34. Extending between the lugs 33 is a bearing shoulder 35. The spring recess is provided with an upper or inclined limit wall 37 to limit the movement of the pivoted lever hereinafter described. Adjoining the other tongue pocket 32 isa fuse wire bearing lug 38 to minimize the sag of the fuse wire hereinafter described.

Disposed within each of the tongue poele ets 32 is a metallic contact tongue 40. Each tongue is retained within its pocket by a holding screw 4l carrying a washer 42. Extending between the holding screws and retained thereby is a fuse wire 43. If desired, one of the screws 41 may have serrations 44 formed beneath its head whereby upon rotating the screw the fuse wire will be gripped and wound taut.

Extending between the lugs 33 and across the spring recess 34 is a pivot pin 45. PivL oted to the pin 45 is the inner end of a lever 46 the outer end of which carries a triangular indicator 47. The lever and indicator may be formed of any suitable non-conducting material. Carried by the lever 46 is also a holding ring 48. Encircling the pivot pin 45 and disposed within the recess 34 are the coils 49 of a spring having bearing arms 50 extending in opposite directions from the said coils.

l/Vith this invention the triangular indicator 47 is pushed inwardly into the cap 25. One end of a fuse wire is wound or twisted around the shank of one of the screws 41, the other end of the wire being passed through the holding ring 48 of the lever 46 and then wound or turned around the other holding screw 41. The cap is now placed in posltion upon the fuse box base 2 the contact tongues 40 passing into the tongue spaces 21 of the contacts of the base piece. Upon the" fuse wire breaking it is obvious that the lever 46 and triangular indicator 47 will immediately swing outwardly through the slotway 27 under the influence of the spring coils 49. boxes will at once show in which fuse box renewal of the fuse wire is required as the indicator 47 will be quickly seen. Spare caps may be carried and substitution effected thereby dispensing with the necessity of an electricians services to iit a new fuse wire immediately.

Having now described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A fuse box'having spaced terminal con tacts, a cover having connecting members to engage said contacts, a fuse strip extended between said connecting members, a lever pivotally mounted in a recess formed in the cover, means depending from the lever and encircling the fuse strip intermediate the connections, and a spring for projecting the lever in part above the cover under the influence of the spring on the separation of the fuse strip.

2. A fuse box comprising abase, a cover therefor formed with a recess extending through the upper surface of the cover, a fuse strip removably secured in said cover, a lever pivotally mounted in said recess, a spring for actuating the lever to project a portion of said lever through the recess and above the upper surface of the cover, and a loop depending from the lever to receive the fuse strip, the connection of the loop and fuse strip holding the lever withdrawn against the influence of the spring.

3. A fuse box including a base, a cover removably secured thereto, said cover being formed with a recess opening through the upper surface of the cover, a lever pivotally supported in the cover and having a signal indicating end adapted in operation to pass through the recess and project above the upper surface of the cover, a spring connected to the lever and adapted to'move it to operative position when free to act, and means carried by the lever to engage the fuse strip in the cover to hold the lever normally against the influence of the spring.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

T. A. LEE.

Witness:

CECIL M. Ln CLASTREER.

An inspection of a batch of fuse 

